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Original poster

The Brits are SO smart.

492 replies

MsAmerica · 28/02/2025 00:37

Playing Trump like a fiddle, knowing his weakness for flattery and star power. Starmer begins by presenting a letter of invitation from Charles III.

Donald Trump given letter from King Charles on Ukraine war with special 'unprecedented' invite
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/donald-trump-given-letter-from-king-charles-on-ukraine-war-with-special-unprecedented-invite/ar-AA1zVHbC

UK Prime Minister Starmer Presents Trump With An Invitation From King Charles For A State Visit: "This Is Really Special"
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2025/02/27/uk_prime_minister_starmer_presents_trump_with_an_invitation_from_king_charles_for_a_state_visit_this_is_really_special.html

OP posts:
madamweb · 28/02/2025 08:17

cheezncrackers · 28/02/2025 08:12

Trump is easy to play like a fiddle and the US Ambassador is playing a blinder with him this time. The first time around they got it all wrong, insulting him and upsetting him. He's like a big, spoilt baby, and that's how they're treating him and he's lapping it up 😆

Which is all fine, but he's clearly entirely under Musks thumb so I hope they have a strategy to handle Musk too

bombastix · 28/02/2025 08:19

Actually I would love to know the strategy for Musk because clearly he's in charge domestically in the US. Trump gets to do the international stuff. Perhaps that is the answer, ie Musk stays at home....

muggart · 28/02/2025 08:21

spuddy4 · 28/02/2025 04:17

Interesting how people perceive things differently. I saw it as an embarrassing, desperate move because Starmer knows Trump doesn't think much of the UK and the special relationship the two countries once had is long gone. I don't think for one moment Trump will forget the comments that various Labour MPs have made about him. It's just mind games and they are all playing each other.

sadly i think you are right

NetZeroZealot · 28/02/2025 08:23

Starmer was very well prepared for the meeting and played it to perfection.
its just politics after all.

Panofrashers · 28/02/2025 08:23

Moonlightstars · 28/02/2025 08:11

We're the same just cancelled plans to go to the US with friends. Canada is getting our money instead!

Show quote history

We’re doing the same! Travelling to Canada and planning a trip to Mexico too.

CarefulN0w · 28/02/2025 08:23

Which is all fine, but he's clearly entirely under Musks thumb so I hope they have a strategy to handle Musk too

I'm sure there is one. But I also honestly can't see Trump tolerating Musk's ego for long. There will be a biggly falling out. The biggest.

thinktwice36 · 28/02/2025 08:24

Noperope · 28/02/2025 07:41

Trump really is a big toddler.

"Oh you're so clever, look at you! Who's a big boy then, you get a special reward yes you do!"

And Trump sits there soaking all not realising he's being handled.

😂😂 yep.

user1471466513 · 28/02/2025 08:24

So, we have ended up paying for Ukraine's security and sending our soldiers to peacekeeping, while America walks away with Ukraine's rare minerals, and you think we've played him?

ThimbleT · 28/02/2025 08:24

I thought it was embarrassing and based on his actions to date, Trump will probably change his mind within a couple of days anyway. It’s just one old white man sucking up to another. I dread to think what this is all going to cost the UK in terms of agriculture and the NHS. I think Starmer made himself and us look utterly ridiculous.

VisitationRights · 28/02/2025 08:25

Starmer’s sucking up and bowing down to the orange one may very well lead to the decline of the commonwealth, which is probably a good thing but the king probably won’t appreciate it that much. Canada is well pissed off with him.

Twiglets1 · 28/02/2025 08:25

Imagine if Trump said thanks but no thanks - last visit was boring as hell.

Words · 28/02/2025 08:25

I agree it was very well played.

The mirroring of language, the flourishing of the letter, the shoulder patting. I was watching for that actually after seeing Macron deploy it, and spotted Starmer's first shoulder pat as he arrived at the door. Clever.

Maybe slightly overdone thereafter but that would be my only criticism.

Embarrassing but necessary. Kudos to his coaches.

Trump is so unpredictable though. Did anyone else hear him turn to Starmer in the post lunch press conference and bark 'that's enough' as he was answering a question?

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 28/02/2025 08:25

Trump is also half Scottish (his mother was born on Lewis) so offering a state visit in Scotland is a good idea. Remind Trump of his personal connections because that matters to him.

I just think of the military adage that you are saluting the rank not the holder of the rank. Whatever you think of Trump, he is the President of the USA so you have to treat him as the President.

Wildflowers99 · 28/02/2025 08:26

PullTheBricksDown · 28/02/2025 01:01

This. If getting palace visits and state dinners is something Trump wants, we can give him that. No one dies, and in fact it may save lives.

Show quote history

Agreed. I wondered to DH the other day whether we should be wheeling out the RF as they seem to be some of the few people Trump admires/respects.

Wildflowers99 · 28/02/2025 08:27

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 28/02/2025 08:25

Trump is also half Scottish (his mother was born on Lewis) so offering a state visit in Scotland is a good idea. Remind Trump of his personal connections because that matters to him.

I just think of the military adage that you are saluting the rank not the holder of the rank. Whatever you think of Trump, he is the President of the USA so you have to treat him as the President.

Agree. Scotland need to offer a state visit with pomp and ceremony ASAP. I don’t care if they don’t like it, now isn’t the time to be superior whilst letting England do all the dirty work

LadyBracknellsHandbagg · 28/02/2025 08:27

anotherside · 28/02/2025 08:12

Britain shouldn’t be rolling the red carpet for a leader who is real time planning ethnic cleansing of an entire region. Starmer is already complicit up to his eyeballs.

It’s called diplomacy, Starmer can’t steamroll in there making demands, there’s more than one way of getting what you want from a narcissistic dictator like Trump. If it benefits Ukraine and the rest of Europe then so be it.

Mummyratbag · 28/02/2025 08:28

Tubs11 · 28/02/2025 08:14

keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
It was so cringe that I do wonder if the overly theatrical and out of character stance was a wink wink, nod nod, we know you know to the British people. Like some kind of comedy sketch.

I was cringing hard, but I think they played a blinder. I remember Blair telling a story (forgive the vagueness) of him and Bill Clinton visiting somewhere together and the hosts had given them both hideous Hawaiin type shirts (I think) - Blair chose the least offensive and Clinton chose the worst ..when asked why he said "because everyone will know it was not my choice" .. I feel a bit like that over he visit.

Cattreesea · 28/02/2025 08:29

Starmer and Macron are playing Trump rather well.

They managed to look friendly and turn on the charm, but still corrected some of his false statements.

Let's be honest one of the only assets we have that Trump is interested in is the Royal Family so we might as well put them to good use...

madamweb · 28/02/2025 08:31

CarefulN0w · 28/02/2025 08:23

Which is all fine, but he's clearly entirely under Musks thumb so I hope they have a strategy to handle Musk too

I'm sure there is one. But I also honestly can't see Trump tolerating Musk's ego for long. There will be a biggly falling out. The biggest.

I never thought it was because they liked each other.

Musk clearly has some massive hold (financial, information?) over not just Trump but the republicans more generally. There's no way in a normal political dynamic the whole cabinet would sit quietly while Trump joked about "throwing them out" if they said they didn't like Musk. There's something quite massively wrong.

bombastix · 28/02/2025 08:32

I don't think we should oversell it because what was it, a few hours to influence things in a way that UK would like, and in those terms successful. The actual terms of deals and outcomes takes months to do so let's see.

This country needs investment and growth. We are right out of luck if we look to the EU to help on that so I admire the pragmatic attitude displayed.

Panofrashers · 28/02/2025 08:32

While I do think this was diplomatic theatre, my concern is that Trump, like other megalomaniacs, will only be satisfied with appeasement for so long.

If this buys the UK and Europe time to come up with a stronger and more cohesive strategy for dealing with him then so be it. However, after the ASMR shackle video and Trump Gaza I found it very difficult to watch any legitimising of his regime.

in the meantime, as a personal citizen, I will be boycotting US products (except Ben and Jerry’s), avoiding travel to the US and I will be exercising my right to protest peacefully when this visit happens.

NetZeroZealot · 28/02/2025 08:33

user1471466513 · 28/02/2025 08:24

So, we have ended up paying for Ukraine's security and sending our soldiers to peacekeeping, while America walks away with Ukraine's rare minerals, and you think we've played him?

We are showing leadership- protecting Europe from further invasion by Russia.

BalladOfBarryAndFreda · 28/02/2025 08:36

It genuinely made me want to throw up and I agree with those saying that Starmer hasn't done this in isolation. I'm terrified for the future and the speed at which global politics is descending into the void, we need diplomacy more than ever.

twilightcafe · 28/02/2025 08:38

violetsorrengail · 28/02/2025 07:34

Starmer did a grand job. Can you imagine if that was Liz Truss! We'd be at war with them by now.

Or Kemi Badenoch, trying to cosplay Margaret Thatcher.

spuddy4 · 28/02/2025 08:38

user1471466513 · 28/02/2025 08:24

So, we have ended up paying for Ukraine's security and sending our soldiers to peacekeeping, while America walks away with Ukraine's rare minerals, and you think we've played him?

Exactly. People only see what they want to see and are so blinded by their dislike of Trump that they can't see anything else.